Quebec coroner investigating death of elderly woman who'd been left tied to bed, naked and soiled

UPDATE: June 9, 2022: Following the publication of this story, the complaints commissioner for the CIUSSS de l'Est-de-l'le-de-Montral health authority concluded there was "there was no mistreatment" of the patient in question. "The lady received the services necessary for her state of health and passed away in the most dignified manner possible, surrounded by her loved ones on Feb. 9, 2022," the commissioner's report stated. Read more here.

The Quebec coroner's officeis investigatingthe death of anelderly woman who, three days before her death,had been foundtied to her bed, naked and soiled,in a long-term care residencein Montreal's RosemontLa Petite-Patrie borough.

The 81-year-old woman, identified by Radio-Canadaas Marie M., diedovernight on Feb. 8 at the Centre d'hbergement Saint-Joseph-de-la-Providence.

The residence is publicly funded but privately operated by the Congrgation des Soeurs de la Providence.

Radio-Canadareported that a Canadian Red Cross workerhelping out at the home due to a COVID-19 outbreak had been appalled to find thewoman restrained, nakedand left in her own excrement.

In response to a Radio-Canada report published Thursday, Quebec's chief coroner will look intothe cause and circumstances of the woman's death. The regional health agency responsible for the home, theCIUSSSde l'Est-de-l'le-de-Montral, says it has also opened an investigation.

'It's nothing new': seniors' advocate

Seniors'advocates say they're horrified bythe reported condition in which Marie M. was left, but they're not surprised.

"It's nothing new.I am not surprised to see an event like that," said Pierre Lynch, head of a provincewide seniors' rightsgroup (AQDR).

Lynch said the situation is the latest to come to light, but there have beenmany similar cases of neglect and mistreatment of elderly residentsat long-term care homes, especially in those hard hit by the pandemic.

"It'sunacceptable that for a situation like that,an investigation is not done faster than what's being done presently," he said.

The Red Cross support workerfound the woman restrained and in need of hygienic care on Feb. 5, said Red Cross spokesperson Jean-Sbastien Pariseau.

The workerimmediately informed the staff at the home that the woman needed assistance, butit wasn't until after a shift change that she was attended to, saidPariseau.He said the Red Cross worker then helped nursing staff clean the resident a task that Red Cross support workers are not normally authorized to carry out.

"While our service aides are not entitled to judge whether or not this is a case of abuse, we have informed the [Ministry of Health] of a possible case of neglect," Pariseausaid. He said the ministry was informed of the situation Feb. 17, after the Red Cross ended its three-week mission atthe residence.

Neither the residence's administrators nor the union representing nurses and nurses' aides, the SQEES-FTQ, had any comment on the Red Cross complaint. However, sources told Radio-Canada the home is chronically short-staffed, relying on an agency to supply temporary workers. They said with only two nurses' aides for every 25 residents, frequently residents are left with overflowing diapers.

In the case of Marie M., sources said the woman was known to be aggressive and would shout and lash out at staff, to the point where they'd retreat from her room.They said she would only allow one particular nurse's aide to change her, so she was frequently left in soiled incontinence underwear until the end of the day.

No inspection by Health Ministry

Despitethe report to the province,no inspection was carried out by the Health Ministry.Aministry spokesperson, Marjorie Larouche, saidthe matter was turned over to the regionalauthority "to ensure the appropriate follow-up measures."

Lynch of theAQDR saidthe government needs to"reinvent the system" of caring for seniors, "because the way it's set up is not working correctly."

"We need to have some long-term solutions, not short-term [band-aids]like we have presently like giving a couple hundredmillion dollars for this, $5 million for that," he said.

"We need to make sure these people get the proper care at the proper time," he said, and there has to be a major investment in home care.

Officials at Saint-Joseph-de-la-Providence turned down CBC'sinterview request but said theyplanto participate in the investigationby the Quebec coroner, as well as the one underway at the regional health agency.

Seniorsministerwants 'the whole story'

Medical malpractice lawyer Patrick Martin-Mnard saidthe case is worrisome andan extreme example of how measures of last resort, such as restraining a resident, are sometimes overused.

"They are used as a way to compensate for a staffing shortage," he said."I think there is a real lack of training in CHSLDs to deal with any type of clientele that can pose particular challenges."

"There is absolutely no excuse."

Marguerite Blais, Quebec's minister for seniors, saidshe has ordered an internal investigation of the entire incident.

"I want the whole story," said Blais.

The minister said she is "very angry" that it took several days for the ministry to advise her of the situation.

She always wants to see better training for health-care workers caring for residents with cognitive impairment.

Provincial legislators are currently studying Bill 101, proposed legislation aimed at preventing abuses in seniors' homes.

If passed, the law will require health-care personnel to report any situation of mistreatment they witness, subject tofines of $2,500 to $25,000 for failingto do so and fines up to $250,000 for businesses that try to stop someone from reporting alleged abuse.